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Friday, 11 April 2014

Review: Sew Magazine

Soooo, this hits the shops today, I think, although I got my copy quite early in the week, so it might have already been in the shops a day or two. Not to bother, the earlier the better as far as I'm concerned with this magazine. I really look forward to it every month, and this month is no exception.

This issue comes with a free New Look pattern, and the dresses can be made with just under two metres of fabric - bargainous me thinks. There is even £5 off Ikea fabrics in the magazine, so even more bargainous. Why not treat yourself to a new dress - I think I might be. The free pattern has various sleeve and neckline options, making it a very versatile pattern. I just have to trawl YouTube now to find a tutorial for altering princess seams (which the pattern features) for the larger busted lady (i.e. me). A totally non-related tip, but if, like me, you need to buy the larger bra sizes, check out MissMandalay. I just bought a bra from there with some vouchers I had, and it fits lovely. They're not cheap, but no more expensive than the likes of Bravissimo, Debenhams etc.

Right, now that I've done my little plug (totally unpaid for by the way), shall we move on with the magazine.

As well as the free pattern, there is also a Stitch Liberty Style booklet, which has various projects, including:

fabric frame

heart decorations

chevron quilt (which I like the idea of)

tablemats

leaf cushions

drum lampshade

Libby doll.

Onto the magazine proper, and the first little tutorial is a flower headband made from circles of fabric. I love this idea, and have some blank headbands (which I have just got from Crafty Poodles) and lots of fabric scraps. I think I might see if one of the nieces wants to make one of these with me at the weekend (they are both handy with a needle and thread these days), or we could wait as we have a family wedding coming up soon, and I could make one for the youngest niece to go with her dress (the other one is NOT wearing a dress, although I am making her outfit!). Hmmmm . . . either way, I'm pretty sure that I won't be cutting out 40 circles by hand - surely that's what my die-cutter is for?!

I loved reading the wedding dress masterclass section, and I would really like to stitch someone's wedding dress one day - maybe one day my little sister, but I think she might be far too demanding for my skills and stress levels. I don't think for one second that I would get away with charging her real wedding dress prices either :-). I would however love to stitch for her bridesmaids the dresses in the main picture. I can imagine these being the kind of dresses her bridesmaids would wear, and they are each in a different pastel colour, the idea of which I love. I told my bridesmaids they could all wear different if they want, as long as they stuck to the theme, but they decided to go for the exact same dress. Anyway, this is all a long way off, as my sister hasn't even met Prince Harry yet, and I don't think she should settle for anything less than him.

Anyway, back on track, it was lovely to read about the real brides who stitched their own dresses, and they are all beautiful.

It was interesting to learn about Corinne Bradd's laminated wash bags. I usually end up spending a fortune on oilcloth to make washbags etc. but I think that I might be tempted to invest in some lamifix after looking through this project feature.

Other projects this issue include:

draft your own pattern to make a tunic dress

dressmaking SOS has surface decoration tips, including a tutorial on how to attach sequins with beads

quilted magazine hanger

quilting house block and quilt

table runner

ice-cream cushions

made to measure contrast cushions

garden sign

seed pocket

gift pouches

embroidered wedding horseshoe

embroidered lovebird heart

toy rabbit

toy bear

rag doll

stackable farmyard blocks

There is a bumper giveaway going on this issue, with prizes including:

one year subscription to Homemaker

The Great British Sewing Bee books

sewing goodies from Plush Addict

Gutermann sets

one year subscription to Sew Magazine

fat quarter bundles

Peggy Porschen notebooks

cutting set

Cath Kidston kits

felt making kits

button stash set

bumper sewing bundle

Spoonflower fabric bundles

cutting table

LED magnifying lamps

£50 Create and Craft credit

Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8900QCP

As always, all the templates can be found here, including those for the Stitch Liberty Style booklet.

The next issue is out on 9th May and comes with a free Simplicity doll set pattern. I'm excited for this, as I hope that its something I can make with the nieces.

About Me

Hello, my name is Holly and I live in Yorkshire, UK, where it generally rains and does not much else, but that gives me plenty of time to sit indoors and craft. I have been making cards for about a year now and I soon moved onto sewing and trying other crafts too.

It started as something to keep me occupied while the hubby (or fiance as he was at the time) watched football (soccer to anyone in the US) and it became a bit of an obsession, so much so that my spare room is now my sewing studio and I no longer have to sit at the kitchen table.

My other hobbies include tap dancing, following MotoGP and reading. I am also studying with the Open University for my history degree and am in my final year.

I sometimes wonder how I find time to do all this, and see my friends, as by day I work for a solicitors' firm in Leeds.

You can contact me using the contact form below or at fairy[dash]elephants[at]